Election of officers for the new year included president Larry Wymer and treasurer Carrie McCann continuing in their respective roles, but the vice-president and secretary positions remain available until the next meeting, or until someone comes forward to volunteer.

Two reader reports received this past hour, both of which include items big and small you might be able to help find:

STOLEN ELEMENT: The photo and report are from Kanti:

Stolen 2004 Black Honda Element WA AWN9996 from our home at 30th and Henderson. Vehicle has rocket box that carried supplies to Standing Rock, homemade Bernie 2016 sticker for WA delegate to the DNC in Philly and many many other heroic events. May we find her soon and continue our journey in sacred activism.

SPD incident number: 17-458428.

(DECEMBER 17 UPDATE: The Element’s been found, with one arrest. Waiting to hear where.)

CAR BREAK-IN DURING SCHOOL CONCERT: From Jennifer:

Tonight while we were attending our son’s 6th grade band concert at the Chief Sealth auditorium, someone broke the back window of our car and stole several items inside. Most notable are a blue & white striped 150 ft arborist rope in a blue canvas bag, a battery-powered lantern, and two brand new pairs of Nike cleats we purchased today to give our son for Christmas. I’m hoping maybe these things will be discarded by the thieves and end up somewhere else in West Seattle – especially the cleats. They are size 5 and 5.5, one indoor pair (black/white) and one outdoor (gray/pink). This happened between 6 8:30 pm on the side of the school and we have reported it to Seattle Police. If anyone finds the items, I’d be happy to come pick them up!

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Comments Off on TONIGHT’S LIGHTS: ‘Tree’ on Pigeon Point

I decided that I wanted a tree of lights & our whole family worked together to create this. We’re on Pigeon Point & you can see it when you’re driving east on Yancy from Avalon. Happy Holidays!

Also visible to the south when driving up Andover from Delridge. We’ll be showcasing lights nightly through Christmas – thanks to everyone who’s sent tips and photos – more tomorrow, and we’ll be adding to the list in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide!

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Comments Off on TOMORROW: Shop Late Thursday and West Seattle Art Walk, holiday edition

The next huge Hometown Holidays night in The Junction is tomorrow (Thursday, December 14th) – when the December edition of the West Seattle Art Walk happens on Shop Late Thursday, which means many reasons to be there! Including Santa – roaming! – and caroling by Silver Belles, 5-7 pm, starting at Cupcake Royale at 5, then to Wild Rose, and then wandering between other Junction businesses. Here’s the latest Shop Late list from the Junction Association.

And of course the Art Walk stretches beyond The Junction – if you wander south, for example, you can shop for holiday wine at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) while meeting and seeing the work of artist Sandy Simpson. Venues to the north, too – see the map above!

Cocoa Cris Cringle is in the house – well, the shop – at Easy Street Records, for his annual photo sessions, benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank. (Discount if you bring a nonperishable-food donation!) We were there as Cocoa Cris’s fans of all ages started showing up for pics:

Holiday photos of course include the family pet(s) sometimes too:

Cocoa Cris is scheduled to be at Easy Street until 8 tonight – full details here. (And while you’re there – check out the used-vinyl blowout sale, which continues tomorrow!)

With the support of all Seattle-area Sound Transit Board Members, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan signed an agreement for an expedited plan to build the West Seattle and Ballard light rail extensions. The agreement, which was unanimously affirmed by City Council on Monday, provides a framework for Sound Transit and the City to work closely during the next 18 months to identify a preferred route alternative. Early identification of a preferred alternative along with other alternatives to study in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a key strategy to meet the aggressive schedules for speeding up service to West Seattle in 2030 and Ballard in 2035. In addition, the agreement creates a new leader within the Mayor’s office to coordinate Sound Transit including a review of City codes, policies and permitting requirements.

“I am honored to appoint Mayor Durkan to the Sound Transit Board of Directors – she will be a strong partner as we keep our projects moving forward and tackle our transportation challenges,” said King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Member Dow Constantine. “People want light rail, and they want it now. During the ST 3 campaign I repeatedly pointed out that the timelines could be shortened if local jurisdictions and Sound Transit work together. Today, for West Seattle and Ballard, Seattle is a big step closer to making that happen, fulfilling my promise and showing the way for other cities.”

“If we want to remain the economic engine of the Northwest, with opportunities for all residents to thrive, we must have continued investment in light rail and other investments in public transportation. The West Seattle and Ballard to Downtown corridors will be areas of high ridership, and most importantly, will help our diverse communities stay connected. We are united in making this a top priority,” said King County Council Chair and Sound Transit Board Member Joe McDermott.

“We need better transit as quickly as possible. By expediting light rail to West Seattle and Ballard, we will be transforming our city for decades to come. As both Mayor and a member of the Sound Transit Board, I will work to cut red tape to provide faster, more reliable transit service to neighborhoods sooner. By working closely with key members of our community, region, and the Sound Transit Board, we will be able to make public transit more convenient and accessible to those who visit or live and work in and around Seattle,” said Seattle Mayor and Sound Transit Board Member Jenny Durkan. “I’ll also work to bring on better bus service to help immediately, as we build our next generation of transit.”

“We heard loud and clear that Seattle voters want light rail and they want it as soon as possible. This agreement will help the City and Sound Transit deliver the transit infrastructure our region demands,” said Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, NE Seattle) and Sound Transit Board Member. “We know that good transit reduces household costs, connects families to good jobs and helps protect our environment, and I am thrilled we are taking action today to bring those benefits to more Seattleites.”

The agreement will go before the Sound Transit Board on Dec. 21. It includes specific commitments from each agency that include working together with stakeholders to build early consensus around project elements; developing environmental review documents that both agencies can use for required project development approvals and permitting decisions; and streamlining permit review and processing.

If you skimmed through, go back and note the “better bus service” mention in the third-to-last paragraph. We’ll be checking on that.

2:56 PM: Two sky notes: First, that cloud formation – Byron asked us on Twitter about a “vortex” and we had no idea what he was referring to until we saw that photo e-mailed by Jeff Kaufer. Official name for this formation, anyone? (Update: See comments.)

Geminids will be occurring all night Dec 13th (Thu) and 14th (Fri), starting low in the East with a few spectacular ones between sunset and 10pm. Then 10pm-2am you'll have the chance to see a lot more directly overhead… 1/2 @westseattlebloghttps://t.co/koBhHNUyy8

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Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Robbery followup; another package taken

DELRIDGE ROBBERY FOLLOWUP: We weren’t able to obtain the report on Monday night’s street robbery yesterday but do have it now. The narrative begins with the officers stopped at Delridge/20th and flagged down by a passing driver who said he had seen a fight in a parking lot to the north, and continues:

We started northbound on Delridge checking the area for the fight. We noticed two Hispanic males standing at the bus stop just south of 9Oxx Delridge Way SW. We also noticed a third Hispanic male walking northbound from 7/11. These were the only three people we saw on the west side of Delridge. We slowed down and one of the two males standing at the bus stop gave us a peace sign. Seeing no fighting or any signs of a disturbance we continued on. We got to the light at Delridge and SW Henderson when we noticed a male come out from behind the gas station at 90xx Delridge Way SW. The male … flagged us down and stated the two males at the bus stop just robbed him at gunpoint. As we turned our vehicle around the victim yelled that the suspects were running down the alley. The victim also pointed out another male next to the tree who he said was also with the suspects.

The male still at the scene was detained and identified … Officers began setLing up containment for the remaining two suspects that were last seen fleeing southbound through the alley in the 9000 block of Delridge (alley to the west). A K9 responded to the scene and attempted a track. K9 was unable to locate the suspects. Later (the victim) stated he was not certain he saw the suspects flee down the alley. A Metro bus was also pulling up at the same time and the suspects may have climbed aboard the 128 bus route.

(The victim) provided the following story during the K9 track … he had just dropped his girlfriend off at the gas station … and parked his vehicle in the parking lot. (He) stated he then realized that his girlfriend had his cell phone and he needed to get a hold of her.

(He stated) he decided to ask a couple of males he saw standing near the gas station if he could use their phone. (He) stated the males then placed him in a headlock and punched him in the side of the head (and) told him to give them his keys. (He) stated the male released him and then pulled out a black handgun from the front of his waistband. (He) said the suspect then said to give them what he has … he gave them the keys to his Jeep but they must have seen something because they threw the keys back to him and walked away. (He) stated he ran away and contacted police. (He) declined SFD (medical attention but he) had slight reddening on the right side of his forehead. (He) was unable to provide much of a description other than two Hispanic males 18-20 year of age, wearing dark hoodies. (He) was unable to say which suspect grabbed him and which suspect had the gun. During a search of the area around where the suspects were seen, (an officer) located a blue T-shirt in the bushes outside (a nearby address in the 9000 block of Delridge). Under the T-shirt on the ground was a black .380 handgun. These items were photographed and recovered.

As was, the report concludes, a brown bag with three unopened beers – a bag the victim thinks the suspects had been carrying. That led the police to a nearby store where they discovered one of the suspects had bought the beers at 9:04 pm, and saw video of him, recognizing him as someone they had seen at the bus stop before they knew there was a robbery. They describe him as Hispanic, early 20s, short hair, shown in the video wearing a blue jacket, white shirt, tight blue jeans with holes, and white shoes. They released the person they had detained earlier, as the victim was not certain he had been with the robbers, had not attacked him, and there was no other evidence, though they planned to check for more video.

One other Crime Watch note:

PACKAGE THEFT: Happened to a reader on Tuesday: “Amazon box with cat food taken off my porch, sometime between 9:30 and noon … On 36th Ave SW between Raymond and Graham.”

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Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Dates set for hearing on HALA MHA upzoning appeal

1:03 PM: Two weeks after a coalition of groups from around the city filed an appeal of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for proposed HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability upzoning, the hearing dates are set. Deb Barker from the Morgan Community Association was one of those in attendance at a pre-hearing conference this morning with the city Hearing Examiner, who will hear and rule on the appeal. (MoCA is one of three West Seattle groups among the 20+ citywide who are appealing; MoCA also has filed its own appeal, as has one of the other local groups, the Junction Neighborhood Organization.) Barker tells WSB the HE dates for the hearing are set for April 16-20, April 25-27, April 30, and May 1. The process is expected to proceed in parallel with the City Council‘s consideration of upcoming legislation for the proposed upzoning; the city has pre-decision open houses and hearings scheduled into June. (We have asked Mayor Durkan’s office when she is expecting to send the MHA legislation to the council.)

5:45 PM: It’s since been pointed out to us that a HALA e-mail-list update from the Office of Planning and Community Development last week included a brief announcement that the legislation had been transmitted to the council. You can read the 368-page proposed bill here.

11:42 AM:Seattle City Light is investigating a power outage that started about 15 minutes ago in Delridge – the map shows two spots, one on SW Holden just west of Delridge, with most of the 140+ affected customers in what appears to be the West Ridge Park complex at Delridge/Kenyon. No word yet how it started; the current restoration estimate is mid-afternoon.

12:07 PM: Kenpoints out in a comment that a crash appears to be to blame – the SFD 911 log does show a “wires down” call a short time earlier in the 2200 block of SW Holden – and also says the Westhaven Apartments are affected.

2:42 PM: Just checked; outage continues, and restoration is now projected for after 7 pm.

10:27 PM: Debbie reports in comments that power was restored about half an hour ago. The SCL map still shows a few customers out.

The Issaquah has been taken out of service to repair a water pump seal leak in the #1 engine. Repairs have been scheduled between the morning and afternoon commutes to minimize impact to our customers. Two-boat service will continue on the regular schedule with the Cathlamet and the Sealth until repairs to the Issaquah are completed. The Cathlamet departed Vashon for Southworth at 10:45 am and the Sealth departed Vashon for Fauntleroy at 10:15 am to begin temporary service modifications.

We’ll update when this changes.

2:44 PM: Repairs aren’t done yet; WSF continues 2-boat service with Cathlamet and Sealth: “The Cathlamet runs the #1 position with the following departure schedule … 2:50pm SW-Va-Fa, 3:35pm Fa-SW, 4:05pm SW-Fa. The Sealth remains in the #2 position with the following departure schedule … 3:00pm Fa-Va-SW, 3:45pm SW-FA.”

LOCAL SCHOOLS CONSIDERED FOR LEVY $: As previewed here earlier this morning, a work session at Seattle Public Schools headquarters tonight includes an update on what’s under consideration for the BEX V levy. Six West Seattle schools are now on the “potential project list.” The work session starts at 4:30, with the BEX discussion expected to start around 6:30. (3rd Ave. S./S. Lander)

SANTA ON ALKI: Final night for Santa Photos at Pegasus Pizza on Alki, 5 to 9 pm. Free photos with any purchase. (2768 Alki SW)

TRAILS MEETING: If you use the trails in city parks, the city’s draft plan for managing soft-surface trails needs your feedback. Meet with Seattle Parks at 7 pm tonight at Camp Long. Our calendar listing includes a link to the proposed plan as well as feedback opportunities if you can’t go tonight. (5200 35th SW)

Of local note: The agenda document (here are the 145 pages in PDF) has an updated list of schools under consideration for major BEX projects (see pages 27 and 28 in that document), and the list now includes six West Seattle schools, two added since the last work session in September.

The four local carryovers on the “potential project list” are Alki, Lafayette, Roxhill, and Schmitz Park elementaries – and now Boren STEM K-8 and Madison Middle School have been added. Being on the “potential” list doesn’t guarantee making it into the final measure to go to voters (likely in early 2019) – the district is reviewing far more schools than it could ask voters for money to rebuild/remodel. The addition of Boren isn’t too surprising as BEX planning took up a major portion of the meeting there back in October (WSB coverage here) when the district told them that it was no longer looking at moving STEM K-8 to another building.

The agenda document also contains a trove of data, including enrollment projections for schools around the district, which is part of what drove the changes to the list. Overall, the district expects “the largest enrollment growth in the next 10 years is projected in grades 9-12.” The public is welcome at tonight’s work session, which starts at 4:30 pm at district HQ in SODO and is expected to get to BEX around 6:30, but there’s no public comment, and no vote planned – more reviews and work sessions are ahead before levy language is finalized next year.

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand) A crew working for the state Department of Natural Resources is back out on West Seattle beaches this week, cleaning up creosote - a toxic threat you might not even recognize as you walk along beaches strewn with old pilings containing literally tons of the substance lon...